Inspirational Bicycling Video

Thanks to Sierra Club member Eric Auensen who found this great YouTube video! Get on your bikes, the effects can be huge for the planet:

Shirley

Saving CO2 output

We have noticed that we spend more time at home and in the area around our home when the weather is too bad to bicycle or walk. So we have saved CO2 output by not driving the car.

Moreover, our kids have benefitted from less hectic Sundays than normal, spending more relaxed time at the house: learning to cook; playing games; walking to friends' houses for playdates. We have also enjoyed slow, conscious walks to neighborhood establishments. The slower pace is a nice contrast to the busy car-filled days before and after.

We're surprised that when people see us 1/2 mile from home, they still say, "Did you walk here?" as if it was some Herculean task.

Shirley

The Long Winter is Finally Over

Well we survived the winter...we did end up driving our car on two Sundays this past winter, not due to the cold but due to our children's sports schedules. We always ride bikes or walk to local games but this winter they had games on Sundays that were 20+ miles from our house.

One thing we're learning is that the mindset of driving is pretty ingrained in our psyche. When I think of walking or biking to the store on a Sunday, often I still think "Oh that's so far" when in reality it's a 15 minute bike ride, and once I arrive I feel silly for having had that thought, and feel energized for having gotten exercise in doing it. This is a great process for un-learning beliefs and attitudes that are in place merely because they've never been examined.

Two New Experiences

The past two weeks I have experienced several new things as a result of avoiding the car.

ONE: Two Saturdays ago it was 28 degrees out and I rode my bike to my office - about 2 miles. I discovered that as long as my hands and ears were covered, it was fine! This was a breakthrough and now I realize I can ride all winter - which is thrilling.  I pulled into the office and a co-worker said, "Isn't it a bit brisk for that?" looking at me incredulously.  "Delightful", I said, secure in the knowledge that my favorite form of transportation was suddenly available five more months than I ever thought possible.  

Riding a bike is always an adventure, regardless of short the trip, and I'm really excited to look forward to riding all year long.

TWO: Last week we took the bus to a local ice festival. I hadn't ridden a city bus in Michigan in over 30 years, when I was a graduate student, before I even owned a car. My experience then was that I was forced to ride the bus due to my poverty status, along with other low income people. This experience was quite different, I'm happy to say. Our kids loved it and we got to talk to five different people that we never would have met otherwise. Each was warm, friendly and helpful. Plus once we arrived at our destination, instead of the usual parking hunt, we simply walked to our event. 

On the wait for the bus home, we met a man who sheepishly confessed that he had a sudden craving for Burger King and was willing to wait in the cold for a bus just to satisfy his craving. I appreciated his down to earth honesty and realized how cars isolate and cut us off from each other, and from meeting such colorful characters as we met. 

Two weeks, two new avenues opened up before me. I probably never would have even considered taking a bus before - "only for the poor people" - and now we are planning numerous trips sans auto for the winter and summer months.  And I will keep my trusty bike ready to roll any day of the year. Thank you No Car Sunday!

No Car Resources

Wow! Just found out that there is a world wide no-car movement. Here are some resources to check out:

http://www.worldcarfree.net

Brussels No Car Sunday

http://new.carfreecity.us

Car Free Links

Drizzly day...

The family stayed close to home today venturing out only once. I made a trip to a Sierra club planning meeting for the August 9, 2008 Green Cruise. The trip started out with a robust wind in my face and a light drizzle. I was grateful for the warm coffee house where we had our meeting. The ride back was perfect with the wind at my back and fresh ideas in my head for the next Green Cruise.

When I returned home my son asked to go to our gym for a swim and I enthusiastically said yes as long as we bike. He lost interest and opted to stay home and go out later for a game of basketball with the family.

Welcome!

This blog was inspired by a recent Sierra Club meeting for the 2008 Green Cruise, that discussed making more efforts on an individual basis to reduce Global Warming. The challenge was put out by one of the Sierra Club members for each of us to 'walk the walk' more in our everyday life about making different lifestyle choices to reduce Global Warming. As a result, I invited my family to join in this endeavor. Starting in September, 2007, we started a new family ritual which we call No Car Sunday. Each Sunday we do not use a car for any reason whatsoever, relying on bicyling or walking to go places, do errands, see friends, etc.

In this blog I will be writing about our Sunday adventures, and inviting you to join us in reducing Global Warming.

Our new ritual was highlighted in a recent article in the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday, November 6, 2007.

Here's my son Ben on the day the pictures were taken for the article.

Shirley